Men's 5s beat Crowborough 2's 3-0

FIXTURE: Sussex Div 3
HOME TEAM: Lewes Men's 5s. 3 (Josh Randall, Phil Brown, Ollie Pendered)
AWAY TEAM: Crowborough Men's 3s. 0

In the fine misty afternoon rain Lewes Men's 5s picked up 3 valuable points at home with three goals in the first 13 minutes and a disciplined second half performance.

The homeside's opener came within 90 seconds as Ben Wood made his trademark 'Banana Run' down the right wing and into the D where he drew the goalkeeper and slipped the ball across goal for Josh Randall to tap-in. Lewes followed up quickly with a second, scoring from a penalty corner struck hard and accurately by Phil Brown, a proper screamer #3handicap.

A second penalty corner won by Josh Randall saw a new Lewes 5s routine find the net for a third time. The routine fools the defence into thinking the opportunity has been missed and the ball is not coming in - it worked and was eventually sent back in by Reza Azimi and latched on to by Ollie Pendered who hit the backboard with another good strike.

The Lewes game notes then appear to show a slight change in tempo up front as the skipper made his appearance!

The final 15 minutes of the first half saw Crowborough move the ball around more confidently through the midfield penetrating the Lewes defence on numerous occasions and winning plenty of penalty corners. Tim Bullen was back to full speed as No.1 runner and Lewes goalkeeper, Charlie 'Clean Sheet' Palmer had to make a series of good saves to maintain the homeside's advantage including palming away a top corner drag flick and demanding a more defensive plan for the second period. Tim Bullen

The half time talk instructed an unfamiliar plan for a Lewes side, a defensive half court press nicely explained by Phil Brown. If the press wasn't understood, it wasn't a problem as Charlie Palmer and the Skipper both screamed instruction from the back and sideline respectively. The Men in Green 'stood-off', shuffled, let the Visitors play the ball in their own half and closed down quickly when the ball crossed the line.

The press worked!!! For a team not used to formal tactics, the 5s adapted quickly and thoroughly frustrated and cancelled out each Crowborough attack. With Mark Pearson off the pitch injured, the remaining defence of Sammy Newman, Tim Bullen, James Hall and Simon Murray would not allow anything to pass, such was the ever present Palmer in their ears. Apart from the occasional pacey counter attack by Josh Randall and Ben Wood, Lewes stuck to the plan, securing 3 points and another clean sheet.

MOM - Josh Randall whose attacking pace and skill was the catalyst for those first 13 minutes of excitement.

Next week the Men's 5s travel to The Triangle, Burgess Hill for a 12noon game vs Mid Sussex Men's 3s